European History Unit 4 Vocab

astronomy

the branch of science that deals with the study of celestial objects, the universe, the heavens.

astrology

a pseudoscience that attempts to predict events by the study of the movement of stars and planets.

star charts

These are maps of the nighttime sky showing constellations and stars. They have been used for many centuries by navigators.

Ptolemy

A 100's CE Greek-Egyptian astronomer and cartographer who did extensive work in astronomy and supported the geocentric theory of how the universe operated. He also drew many of the most used portolani (maps).

geocentric theory

An ancient scientific theory that the earth is at the center of the universe and that all heavenly objects revolve around it.

heliocentric theory

A scientific theory that the sun, not the earth, is at the center of our universe and that the earth revolves around the sun, not the other way around.

elliptical

An enclosed circle that is oval in shape

telescope

A scientific tool used to enhance one's sight when observing objects in the sky.

lunar

Of, or pertaining to the moon.

solar

Of, or pertaining to the sun

Inquisition

Term for religious courts set up by Catholic authorities to root out anyone suspected of holding views that contradicted Catholic teachings. The courts could use torture and death to enforce their power.

heresy

To hold positions that are contrary to the accepted teachings of a religious community.

recant

To assert that one no longer accepts beliefs that one once supported; to take back something once proclaimed.

alchemy

A forerunner of chemistry, it was focused on the transformation of matter, especially base metals, such as lead, into gold.

Universal Laws

A belief in physics that there are scientific rules that are true everywhere and for all time. Gravity is a prime example.

gravity

A natural phenomenon in which all objects with mass and energy are drawn towards one another.

plagiarize

To take credit for the work of someone else and to pass it off as your own; to copy.

mechanistic

Theories that explain phenomena in purely physical or deterministic terms.

anatomy

The branch of science that deals with the study of the bodily structure of humans and other animals.

Galen

A 100's CE Greek physician whose ideas about anatomy and medicine dominated medical theories for over 1,000 years.

Bloodletting

The now discredited practice of withdrawing blood from a patient to treat or prevent illness or disease.

folk remedies

The use of herbs, foods, and household items to treat illnesses and disease by medical laymen. Some have shown effectiveness, others none.

circulatory system

The complex system of veins and arteries that move blood through the body.

entomology

the branch of zoology concerned with the study of insects.

metamorphosis

In insects or amphibians, the transformation from an immature form to an adult form in two or more distinct stages.

Smallpox

A viral infection that caused high fever and an outbreak of painful blisters all over the body. Over 90% of the infected died.

inoculation

A method of injecting immunities to a particular disease directly into the body.

querelles de femmes

Term for the centuries long debate about the proper role for women in European society.

midwife

Historically, a woman trained in the care of expecting mothers and in the delivery of babies.

Index

First compiled at the Council of Trent, this was a list of books that Catholics were prohibited to read. Abolished in 1966.

Rationalism

The theory that opinions or actions should be based on reason and knowledge rather than on religious beliefs or emotional responses.

cogito ergo sum

Famous Latin expression credited to Descartes; it translates as "I think, therefore I am."

Empiricism

The theory that all knowledge comes from experience and evidence rather than from tradition.

Scientific Method

Radical new way of developing and confirming knowledge, developed in the 1600's and credited to Sir Francis Bacon. It involves a three-step process of hypothesis, experimentation, new hypothesis.

Scientific Societies

National scientific organizations, such as the British Royal Society and the French Academy, that bring together the leading scientists to share and collaborate.

Enlightenment

An European intellectual movement of the 17th and 18th centuries in which ideas of God, nature, reason, and humanity were challenged and reassessed. It was predominantly associated with France.

philosophes

The French term for "philosopher," it is used to describe the leading intellects of the Enlightenment, such as Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Rousseau.

relativism

The belief that knowledge, truth, and morality exist in relation to culture, society, or historical context and are not absolute.

"noble savage"

An Enlightenment idea, associated with Rousseau, that believed that early and primitive man was free from sin, materialistic desire, and was more happy and free than the supposedly civilized Europeans.

censorship

The suppression of any part of a book, publication, film, or work of art because of perceived offensive political, sexual, or religious content.

salon

Fashionable rooms in Parisian homes, run by elegant women, where the ideas of the Enlightenment could be debated and discussed by both genders.

separation of powers

The political concept, advocated by Montesquieu, where government's powers are divided into different branches, such as executive and legislative.

Deism

A philosophical movement of the 18th century that believed in a Creator being (God) but rejected the Christian/Jewish/Muslim concept of a redeemer God.

Enlightened Absolutism

Voltaire's political idea that the ideal form of government was one where the monarch possessed all power, but used it wisely for the benefit of their subjects. Many monarchs considered themselves to be examples of such a ruler.

anti-clerical

To be opposed to the power of religious authorities

natural state

Rousseau argued that people who lived in a morally neutral, simple state in harmony with the natural world around him was happier than Europeans. He was inspired by the example of Native American and South Pacific cultures.

general will

A political philosophy associated with Rousseau that argued that people share a common goal for personal and communal happiness and progress.

physiocrats

17th and 18th century philosophers who dedicated their studies to economics. Adam Smith was the best example of this.